The recommendations of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for the participation of transgender people in competitions have been criticized by medical experts. The corresponding statement, published in the British Medical Journal, was signed by 38 people, writes The Guardian.
Under the new rules, transgender people will no longer be required to lower their testosterone levels in order to be eligible to compete in women’s competitions. However, specialists working in such organizations as the World Federation of Athletics, the World Triathlon Federation and the International Cycling Union did not agree with this.
According to the authors of the letter, such a decision was made in favor of the policy of inclusiveness and does not take into account the science of the human body and gender differences. They emphasized that these rules are unfair to ordinary female athletes and open the door to unfair competition in women’s sports. Experts also expressed the opinion that the requirement to artificially lower testosterone levels for admission to competition among women is fair.
In addition, the appeal cites research findings showing that trans women retain significant benefits beyond the age of puberty, even if they artificially lower their testosterone levels. In turn, this can be dangerous for natural women in contact sports.
Earlier, the Olympic champion in speed skating and State Duma deputy Svetlana Zhurova called the main threat to the Olympic movement. According to her, when the IOC gives a person the right to choose the gender for the performance, this calls into question the holding of women’s competitions.
Kingston is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his in-depth and engaging writing on sports. He currently works as a writer at 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the sports industry.
